Flour-bleaching apparatus.



mgavsg'as.

PATEN'VTED FEB. 11, 1908.

G. B. MoPARLAND. .FLOUR BLEAGHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1907.

5 wweu to a 4, a a dw 23% 11 uses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE BIHCFARLAND, OFCOLUMBUS, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF' ONE-HALF'TO W. IRVING SPEICEJOF COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA.

No. ever/as.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

Application filed July 2. 1907- Serial No. 381.914.

'1'0 an whom it may concern:

Beit know that L'Gnonen B. MCFAR- LAND, of Columbus, in the county of Platte and in the State of Nebraska, have invented a' certain new and useful Improvement in Flour-Bleaching Apparatus, and do hereby I owing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being h'ad declare that the fol to the accompanying drawing in which the figure is a vertical section of an apparatus for wood, which in its upper parts supports a' generator 2 of peroxid of nitrogen gas, which generator comprises a simple tank of glass oraluminium containing nitric acid and a metal such as galvanized iron; From the top of the generator, a pipe 3 is carried to the top of a tank 4 beneath the generator and supported on the bottom of. the framework into which tank 4 flows gas as fast as it is generated in the generator. In the tank 4 1S placed'a-volume of water, and from a point near the bottom of the tank 4. a vertical pipe'5 leads to a water-receiving tank5 sup-' orte'd on the top of the framework, the water, eing-forced by the pressure of the gas from the tank 4-u into the tank 5. T 0 permit the removal of t e cover of the generator 2 when necessary, without any loss of gas from the tank .4, a check valve 6' is provided in the pipe 3, which will prevent the backward passage or egress of gas through the pipe 3. The cover or generator-2, of course, is applied thereto in a gas-tight manner, as by means of a clamp and a rubber washer, and the cover of the tank 4 is also-secured thereto in a gas-tight manner, but the cover of the tank 5 may be' a loose one.

Fromthe top or cover of the tank '4 a gas eduction ipe 7 leads to the upper end of a vertical 0 amber '8, through which the flour to be bleached is assed', and to which it is delivered from a c ute 9. The chamber 8 is a mixing-chamber to produce the thorough commin ling or mixing of the .flour and gas, an to efl'ectthisone or more rotatable fans 10 are placed in said chamber, one bein situated above the gas eduction pipe 7 an by which'its pivot is supported, the end of the pipe being carried to the. center of the chamber, and turned downward. The wings or vanes of the fan are so shaped and inclined that the impact of the descending flour upon themwill cause the fan to revolve, scattering the flour by centrifugal force and producing a downward current ofjair through the chamber. The flour being scattered or separated into a dust is in condition for access of gas throughout its mass or volume, so that a most perfect mixing or commingling of the gas and flour is secured. Such other fans as may be used are belowthe *eduction pipe in the mixing chamber, and they operate in the same manner to scatter the flour and thoroughly mix it with the gas and air. Preferably the chamber-is considerably larger in diameter than the fiour inlet there to, and the diameter of the fans is just suiiiciently less than the internal diameter of the mixing chamber to cause the fans to clear the inside walls of the chamber. the hub of the fans is. surmounted by or formed into 'a' pointed or conical projection The top of 11 to' prevent the lodgment of flour; The I flow of gas into the mixing chamber is regu: lated by aneedle or other valve 12.

In the use of my apparatus, enough as is generated, say, for one day at the mil the gas as fast as it is generated passingintothe tank 4, and its pressure being utilized by driving water from the tank 4 up into. the

elevated tank 5, so that in this way the pres-- sure of the gas is stored up and is utilized to force the gas from the tank 4 into the flour passage or -chute. In the particular that I utilize the pressure of the gas as it is generated to force the gas from the storage tank 4 to the flour chute, my invention differs radically from a paratuses prior to mine, in which fans or b owers-have been necessary to force the treating gas into the flour to be treated.

When morethan one fanis used, as'shown in the drawing, the alternate fanshave their wings or vanes arranged so that alternate fans revolve in opposite directions to probination of a gas generator, a gas tank incommunication with the generator, an elevated li uid-holding tank in communication by the pressure of gas entering. the

with sai gas tank into which liquid is forced from the generator entering'the gas 'tan and means for the delivery 'of gas leading from the gas tank'to the flour to be treated. g v

2. In flour bleaching apparatus, the combination of a gas generator, a .gas tank in communication with the generator, a'n elevated li uid-holding tank in communication with sai gas tank into which li uid is forced by the pressure of gas from t e generator as tank, a vertical chamber provided wit agitating .means, through which flour to be treated'passes, and'a pipe leading from the gas tank to said chute.

3. In flour bleaching apparatus, the combination of a gas generator, a gas and liquidholding tank in communication with the generator, an elevated liquid-holding tank,

a pipeleading from one tank to the other, so that liquid may be forced from the gasholding, tank-,1by theressure' 'of gas', into the elevated tank, an' maygdescendfrom the latter into the gas-holdin tank,- to supply pressure to expel gas t erefrom, and means for the delivery of gas from the gas -tank to the flour to be treated.

4. In flour bleaching apparatus, the com: bination of a gas enerator, a gas and liqfiid holding tank, to t e upper part of whic a pipe leads from the generator, an elevate quid-holding pipe, a pipe leadin from'the gas and liquid holding tank to t e bottom .of the elevated tank, through which liquid passes from one tank to,the other, and a pipe eadin from the upper part of the gas and liquid holding tank to the flour 'to be treated.

5. In flour bleaching apparatus, thecom-g' bination of a source of supp y of gas,- a chamberfor the passa e of flour, means for suprplying gas to strc chamber, and a series of oppositely rotatable flour-agitatin' devices. in the path of flour passing-from t e-chamber, alternate ones of said devices; being testimony that I claim the foregoingl have hereunto set m h ORG WVitnesses: I

0. C..SHANN0N, I

:FRED. L. PLATE.

and. B -McFARLANn 

